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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -38.80126, 177.13626. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 1 hr
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Lake Waikaremoana area / Te Urewera
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
This one hour walk will lead you around Lake Kaitawa, a small lake to the south of Lake Waikaremoana. Along the way take the track to Green Lake and Fairy Springs.
This DOC directory entry covers Lake Kaitawa Fairy Springs Track in Gisborne, within Lake Waikaremoana area / Te Urewera. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time: 1 hr
- DOC grade: Advanced
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
- Te Urewera alerts; First published on 17 October 2022. Last reviewed on 6 June 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The track leads around the lake past some majestic rimu trees to a turn-off near a small bridge. A left turn here takes you to a translucent green pool in the forest. Water wells up gently as 'Fairy Springs' in this pool.
The water flows from Lake Waikaremoana through 'leaks' in the lake bed. Attempts were made from 1948 to 1955 to seal the leaks to maximise the water available for power generation. But water still percolates through gaps in the rock (landslide debris from the Ngamoko Range) to emerge as springs feeding the upper Waikaretaheke River and Fairy Springs.
The track leads around this pool and back to the bridge. Climb over the stile and return to the power station along a gravel road.
Getting there
About 12 km from the Āniwaniwa Visitor Centre towards Wairoa a signpost indicates the turn-off on the left to Kaitawa. Drive down the sealed road to the Kaitawa Power Station. A track on the left of the powerhouse crosses a footbridge over a large stream, the upper part of the Waikaretaheke River, which is diverted here by canal into Lake Kaitawa.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
